Latest posts by Eduardo Avila from January, 2008
Mexico: Users of Twitter to Gather
Twittmx [es] is the first gathering of “Twitteros” or users of Twitter in Mexico. The hope is that the meetings will become a monthly occurrence.
Honduras: Cheap Oil from Venezuela
Hugo Chávez was in Honduras, and Aaron Ortiz of Pensieve hopes that the visit was only about purchasing Venezuelan oil at low prices, and not related to anything ideological.
Bolivia: Coca at the Villa Fátima Market
In La Paz, Bolivia, Ruxandra Guidi visits the Villa Fátima market, where coca is legally sold. The blog article is part of Untold Stories from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
Mexico: Postcards and a Trip Back in Time
Daniel Hernandez of Intersections visits a historical postcard exhibit in Mexico City and takes a trip back in time.
Bolivia: Learning a New Indigenous Language
Marisol Medina of Lengua, Cultura y Sociedad [es] recounts how she had learned and forgotten Quechua while growing up, and that not everyone understands one's desire to learn an indigenous language.
Peru: Discovery of Gas Reserves
Upon the discovery of gas reserves in Peru, President Alan García boasted that the country now has enough gas for the next 40 years. However, Juan Sheput of Mate Pastor [es] points out the contradiction put forth by the dean of the College of Engineers, who states that the amount...
Dominican Republic: Manny Ramirez Wine Raises Funds
Imágenes Dominicanas [es] presents us with Manny Ramirez wine. The Boston Red Sox baseball player from the Dominican Republic lent his name to the wine, which helped raise funds for cancer patients.
Colombia: The Kidnapping of a Friend
Balada del Elefanta Azul [es] laments the news that a good friend Alf Onshuus was recently kidnapped by the FARC in Colombia. His reaction, “one does not know what to do…but one also feels that something must be done now, because each moment is important, each second is important.”
Argentina: Clarin Launches Community of Blogs
Denken Über [es] and Fabio [es] both applaud and say “better late, than never” to the decision of the Buenos Aires newspaper, Clarin to launch a community of blogs where users can create their own blog in three easy steps.
Peru: The Ministry of the Environment
The Peruvian government announced the creation of a new Ministry of the Environment. Perú Político [es] analyzes the role of the new government entity and the commission created to implement these new functions.
Peru: The Year of the Potato
The United Nations recently named 2008 as the Year of the Potato. Alejandro of Peru Food provides a bit of a historical background of this staple food for much of the Andes.
Bolivia: The Used Clothing Market
Used clothing vendors in Bolivia are protesting the government's decision to ‘reconvert’ this industry through financial incentives. Carlos Gustavo Machiado of Guccio's [es] believes that stopping this industry goes against free market principles and that it is difficult to force these vendors to change their businesses.
Bolivia: Receiving Mail in El Alto
Cristina Quisbert of Bolivia Indigena [es] discusses the difficulties of receiving mail in El Alto because many streets and houses lack proper identification.
Peru: Video Blog Talk-Show
In a talk-show format, Carlos Wertheman of Invazor C [es] hosts and produces a new Peruvian video-blog called Impagable [es]
Argentina: Protest Against Electricity Cuts
From Argentina, Good Airs writes about the origins of the word “cacerolazo” and what many Porteños are currently protesting against.
Argentina: Stranded Italian Tourists
A strike by the baggage handlers from the airline Aerolineas Argentinas caused a ripple effect and stranded hundreds of tourists, who received very little explanations and assistance from staff. Julián Gallo of Mirá! [es] recounts the plight of a group of Italian tourists.
El Salvador: Murder of Mayor of Alegría
Hunnapuh [es] writes about the murder of the mayor of Alegría in El Salvador. Upon his election as mayor, Wilmer Moises Funes of the FMLN published a website listing irregularities found in the administration of the previous mayor from the ARENA party. Funes later received death threats and some think...
Colombia: Deforestation near the Medellín River
Juliana Rincón of Medea Material [es] writes a recent camping trip, where deforestation was very noticeable near the Medellín River in Colombia. She also links to various photographs that she took.
Chile: The Killing of a Mapuche Activist
The Latin Americanist discusses the anger expressed by Mapuche indigenous groups over the death of a local activist by Chilean police.
Central America: Nations to Form a Union?
Could the Central American nations form a united Central American union? Aaron Ortiz of Pensieve provides a little bit of historical background on the region and links to several organizations that work across the region.
Mexico: 2007 was a Good Year
Two out of every three Mexican citizens reported that 2007 was better for them personally than 2006 according to a national poll writes Vivir México [es].